Free To Be You and Me
by Kryzanna
Summary: Rin and Haru were old best friends, on rival swim teams and had incredibly nosy (but well-meaning) mutual friends. They never thought anything would change between them; until an awkward pool encounter causes a confused Rin to revise this belief. Contains yaoi (eventually lemons). RinHaru
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first non-Naruto fanfiction; i absolutely LOVE "Free!" so I thought I might as well give this a shot! Happy reading; there will be updates! Feel free to leave a review :)**

**Will contain yaoi; possible lemon.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Free! 

* * *

Rin woke in annoyance to the sound of his phone vibrating right next to his ear. With an annoyed growl, he peered at the bright screen.

"Senpai?" Nitori queried sleepily from the top bunk; shifting his weight as he rolled over.

"Go back to sleep," Rin snapped irritably; yawning and glaring at his phone as though it would send the annoyed look to the person who dared text him at this ungodly hour. With an annoyed grunt he realised that it was Makoto.

"This had better be good," he muttered angrily as he answered the call.

"Sorry, Rin," Makoto apologised from the other end of the phone, "I was wondering if Haru was with you? He hasn't come home and didn't take his phone with him."

"…Why the hell would he be with me?" Rin snapped crossly, "It's past midnight!"

"I don't know; you guys have been getting on better these days…" Makoto replied, "Hmm…We were all waiting up for him, but since he's missing…" Rin just groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Nagisa wants to go looking for him."

"Of course he does," the redhead grumbled; yanking his blankets off as Makoto added, "Could you check the Samezuka pool? You know he likes sneaking in there sometimes."

"Fine."

"Thanks Rin! Text me if you find him!" Makoto replied gratefully in that naturally docile voice of his. Rin hung up in annoyance and pulled on a jacket; not bothering with a shirt. Hopefully Haru was just off at his own school pool and their friends found him. Typical Haru; staying out late and not telling anyone where he was going or what he was doing…although everyone assumed he was swimming.

"…Where are you going, Senpai?" Nitori asked curiously; looking over from his bed to where Rin was heading for the door.

"Nothing; I'll be back soon," he grunted gruffly and shut the door with a click behind him.

He could hear splashing even as he entered the building and sighed heavily as the pool loomed up to meet him; a lone figure drifting in the middle; staring up at the roof.

"Haru," Rin called out; only to find himself being ignored. He sighed and pulled out his phone, texting Makoto to inform him that he'd found their water-lover and would be sending him home shortly. "Haru!" he called a little louder. The figure in the pool turned to face him and then dove beneath the surface.

"Dammit," Rin cursed, chucking his phone on one of the nearby seats and heading closer to the water's edge. He could see Haru's form writhing gracefully around underwater; completely at ease. "I know you can hear me," he drawled; waiting for his old friend to resurface for air. After a minute or so, the surface broke and bright blue eyes twinkled up at him expectantly from several metres in.

"Makoto's looking for you," Rin grumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily, "You're trespassing again."

"…You should come swim," Haru remarked simply; swimming a little closer.

"You should go home and _sleep_," Rin corrected; crouching down in irritation as Haru seemed completely happy to just tread water and observe him with those piercing eyes, "Come on, Haru; we have a join practice next week anyway –"

"I want to swim with you," Haru informed him childishly; cocking his head as though he didn't quite understand why this was such difficult information for Rin to process.

" –And like I said; we have a practice next week –" Rin was busy saying; but that was when Haru's hand shot out of the water and grabbed the redhead's elbow as he crouched there. He dangled in mid-air for a moment before falling into the pool with an almighty splash.

Rin surfaced with a gasp of air; giving Haru an annoyed look as he flicked his hair off his face.

"What was that for?" he snapped, "I'm not even in my swimsuit!" His sleeping pants and his jacket were completely drenched. He treaded water for a moment and then couldn't help but sigh when he saw that Haru was drifting off in the water again. "Okay, you're going to pay for that…" he muttered, flinging his soaked jacket to the side-lines and kicking experimentally. Discovering that his pants were weighing him down a little too much, he dragged them off as well and in his boxers, swam over to where Haru was casually floating.

"We don't all wear our swimsuits all the time," he commented flatly, looking down on the blue-eyed boy. Haru just smiled slightly, rolling backwards under the water; beckoning for Rin to join him. Before he could escape though, Rin caught him by the arm and began quickly kicking back to the side of the pool.

"Do you want to get in trouble for trespassing again?" he inquired huffily as Haru reluctantly complied; swimming along after him, "Makoto and Nagisa are worried about you." Haru suddenly slid free of his grip and began swimming towards the edge of the pool. Sensing that this was a race, Rin immediately dove after him; cutting through the water and swimming after him.

Haru hit the side of the pool first, turning around with that same, quiet look he always wore as Rin drew to a halt barely centimetres from him.

"No fair," Rin remarked with a predatory smile; standing easily in the shallower water, "My clothes are waterlogged." Haru just inclined his head with a small shrug; his eyes seeming even bluer than usual in the dim lighting of the pool. Rin swallowed slightly; suddenly incredibly aware that they were probably a little closer than strictly necessary. He found his red eyes straying from Haru's blue orbs and down to his lips. His jaw fell slack as Haru reached up to brush back Rin's red locks from his face; confused about the expression he was currently wearing.

"Rin…" Haru whispered curiously; surprised when his own hand brushed against his friend's cheek. Red eyes widened; startled as the shorter boy wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're still part of the team," he added gratefully, and Rin couldn't help but return the embrace; wrapping his strong arms around Haru's muscled, toned back and touching his warm skin; cooled by the water.

Without realising that he was doing so, Rin's hands began to slid lower down Haru's back; unwittingly pulling them closer. Haru pulled back slightly, so that their gazes were equal once more; and the redhead was forced to realise that this hug was _way_ too intimate. He could feel Haru's breath on his lips; the other boy panting slightly from his swim. Not really understanding what he was feeling pooling in his stomach, pulled back with a scoff; dropping his arms down at his sides. Haru averted his eyes and turned; levering himself up to get out of the pool.

Suddenly, Haru's hand slipped on the edge, and he went plummeting back down into the water on top of Rin with a splash.

The two of them struggled back to the surface; Rin breaching moments before Haru and flicking his hair off his face in annoyance. His friend, not having noticed quite how close Rin was, broke the surface with speed; face turned up to the sky.

Rin could feel something warm and damp pressed forcefully against his lips. His red eyes widened in horror as he realised that Haru's face was a whole lot closer than it should've been; and that whatever was against his mouth was another man's lips. After a horrified silence in which Haru's own sky-blue eyes widened, the pair of them both took a shocked intake of breath. Since their lips were still connected, however, this resulted in a light, open-mouthed kiss; lips moving in sync with each other.

Immediately, Rin reeled backwards with a yell; fighting down an embarrassed blush. He stammered a few syllables before finally accepting an inability to form words. He turned his back on his friend and levered himself out of the pool, wiping his mouth viciously.

"Hurry up and get out of the pool," he snapped, hearing Haru finally comply, "Makoto will probably be here to walk you home soon."

"Rin; you're blushing," Haru commented as the redhead looked over his shoulder to make sure that he was following.

"I'm not blushing," Rin snorted defensively, "I'm…I'm just freezing."

"It's warm in here," Haru remarked as the other boy headed over to retrieve his drenched clothes. He cocked his head in interest; a hand reaching up to trace against his lips which, for a few seconds, had been occupied by Rin's. He felt quite hot, actually; and his mouth felt like it was on fire. Blue eyes scanned Rin's body as he leaned down; the contours of his toned body clearly defined. Haru swallowed; his throat feeling unusually dry. Wordlessly, he followed after Rin, who was attempting to stalk off while squelching along in his drenched underwear.

_I'm not blushing. Why the fuck am I blushing_? Rin growled to himself; brushing his hair off his face crossly. _That was Haru! We just…it was an accident! An __**accident**_! He scowled to himself; pushing that moment; and that weird hug, to the back of his mind, as he noticed that he'd received a text from Makoto.

_We'll be there soon. Hope he wasn't too difficult_.

"Tch," Rin scoffed, shutting his phone with a click. God, why did Haru have to have such a pain sometimes? Oh well…he was back to being Makoto's problem pretty soon.

"Can we swim together again soon?" Haru inquired and Rin scowled at how he was acting like they hadn't just locked lips. He regretted looking back because he discovered that Haru was still in his swimsuit and just carrying his clothes; his sculpted body on display to the world. He'd never really paid attention to it…but after what had just happened….Again, Haru's brilliant blue eyes looked at him quizzically and he just turned back to face the front; heading for the door and swallowing.

"I told you; we have _practice next week_!" he growled crossly; scolding himself inwardly for being…such a _girl_. "Hurry up; I want to go back to bed!"

* * *

**If you read; hope you liked! There will be updates, especially if there are reviews. Smiley face, m-dears. **

**xx K**


	2. Chapter 2

_Rin gently tugged Haru's hips; drawing him in closer as they stood waist-deep in the pool. Haru's bright blue eyes were gazing up at him; filled with trust and a calm that the redhead found strangely alluring. He tipped Haru's chin softly; tilting his face up so that they were only a breath away from touching. Tentative hands trailed down his chest; blue eyes locked against red. Rin took a shaky breath and leaned in; tenderly pressing his lips down against Haru's waiting ones._

_Slowly, Haru's strong arms extended to clutch at his neck; pressing back into the kiss passionately and forcing their bodies to connect. Rin slid his tongue against the seam of Haru's lips and was a little surprised that they parted with so little resistance. His own arms skated across the other man's sculpted back; one hand reaching up to clutch at his friend's soft, blue-tinged locks. Haru was clutching at him almost for dear life as he kissed back; allowing Rin to take command of the kiss; their hips growing ever closer as they slowly toppled underneath the surface of the water. _

Rin woke with a start; panting heavily, to find Nitori looking down from his bunk with worry.

"Are you okay, senpai?" he inquired curiously.

"Yeah," Rin muttered; clutching at his head in shock at what he'd just been dreaming about, "Just a…just a dream…I guess."

"Must've been a nice dream," Nitori commented, "You were smiling for a change."

"Shut up," Rin snapped crossly; rubbing his eyes and checking the clock. It was about time to get up for early practice anyway. _Smiling in his sleep_? He shuddered. Smiling while dreaming about…_kissing Haru_?

It was maybe a little true that Haru had been on his mind for a few days. But that was to be expected, right? You didn't just happen to kiss a person and just forget about it?

…But apparently Haru had. Gou had invited her brother to watch one of their practices –well, not so much invited as _demanded_, and Haru was completely _normal_; just acting they hadn't had a weird moment.

"Maybe I'm the one acting weird," Rin muttered to himself as he finished dressing and rubbed his eyes again; thinking back a few days to that practice at Iwatobi. For some reason he'd been unable to drag his eyes away from Haru. He was supposed to be critically assessing Rei's butterfly technique; but every time Gou had turned away, he'd found himself watching Haru.

Each time before Haru was about to dive in, he would look over to where Rin was sitting and his eyes would just stare; as if they were searching for something right in his soul. There was something unnerving about those eyes; he kept finding himself caught in them. And then Haru would dive; and every time he would notice the contours of his muscles. Every hug they'd ever shared now seemed not quite so platonic after that one stupid, stupid kiss! And any time Haru even _brushed_ past him had him in jitters and a bundle of nerves. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Senpai; are you going to answer your phone?" Nitori inquired curiously, "We've got a morning joint practice with Iwatobi today, remember?"

"I remember, okay?" Rin snapped irritably; answering his phone with a "What?"

"Morning, Rin," Makoto greeted happily from the other end, "I was just wondering if you could do me a huge favour?"

"…What is it this time? Am I going to end up getting dragged into a pool?" Rin drawled back, just _knowing_ that the world hated him and that this was going to be about Haru.

" –I have to stay and babysit for a bit longer; so I might be late to practice," Makoto explained apologetically, "Could you maybe head over to Haru's and remind him about it? He'll probably just be in the bath; but he's a bit absent-minded sometimes." Rin made an annoyed growl.

"I'm not his damn mother," he snapped, "Isn't that your job?"

"Please?" Makoto inquired in that gentle voice of his, and Rin sighed heavily. Who on earth could say no to Makoto? The guy was an angel.

"Fine," he muttered, "But stop calling me when you need someone to babysit Haru!"

" –He likes having you around," Makoto assured him, "He missed you when you were gone, you know." Rin felt a slight pang of guilt but immediately shrugged it off. He'd paid for those mistakes already.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, "See you later at practice; you better not embarrass yourself." Makoto just laughed lightly and hung up. Muttering mutinous things about 'how dare Makoto think I'm going to be his little bitch' and 'why the fuck didn't he call Nagisa', he jammed on his shoes and hollered to Nitori that he had to go out but would be back in time for practice.

* * *

As expected, Haru's house was unlocked, so he just headed on inside; there was pretty much a hundred percent chance that the guy himself was sitting in his swimsuit in the bathtub.

"Haru! Haru; you home?" he hollered; not expecting a reply. With a sigh, he dumped his bag in the living room and headed for the bathroom. Upon opening the door he saw Haru's figure lying in the bath underwater; looking completely at ease. His gaze softened slightly; seeing the other boy so serene. He looked…well…

_No. Haru did not look cute. He did not look sweet. _

While Rin stalked forwards whilst arguing from himself, he appeared to not notice that some of the bathwater had spilled out over the sides of the tub.

"Haru; Makoto sent me to remind you that we have a practice today –" he was beginning to say; only to step in a small puddle of water and slip dramatically. Unable to prevent his fall; he ungracefully tumbled into the tub; full clothed.

Much of the water rose up and spilled out over the sides of the tub; leaving him to hack and splutter and swear at the state of his clothing.

"I remembered our joint practice," Haru remarked conversationally and Rin looked up; suddenly remembering that the tub had actually had another occupant before he decided to enter. Looking up unfortunately informed him that his face was actually rather close to Haru's and that he was now straddling his friend's lap in his sodden clothing. "Makoto didn't have to worry," he added; averting his eyes as he often did.

Rin looked down; noticing that with the way he'd fallen, his hand had landed on top of Haru's, and for some reason, he wasn't instantly removing it. Haru looked down to where their hands were connected; apparently also having noticed, and his blue eyes moved up to look at Rin questioningly. Without really knowing why, Rin's heart started to beat faster, and on impulse, he quickly leaned in to press his lips against Haru's before drawing back a few millimetres.

For a brief moment, Haru made no movement, and Rin almost leapt out of the bath; horrified at what he'd just done –but then he felt a tentative movement against his lips and discovered that Haru was _kissing him back_. He deepened the soft kiss; his hand curling tight around the one in contact with Haru's, and he felt a slim hand grip the front of his shirt unsurely. Their lips parted; light tongues meeting ever-so-slightly; only to shy away once more.

Haru gasped slightly, taking in an unsteady breath of air before Rin's lips descended on his again; soft but forceful in their action. He kept up with the movement and twisting of Rin's head; tilting his own back slightly to allow him better access.

"…You're shaking," Haru commented quietly when Rin finally paused for a decent breath; having begun breathing a little heavier a while ago. The redhead recoiled as though he'd just been slapped back to reality and immediately got to his feet.

"I…Get dressed; we've got a practice," he muttered; averting his eyes and carefully exiting the bathroom.

"You can borrow some of my clothes," Haru called out casually; standing up and sighing at mess of water that was now coating his bathroom floor.

As Rin stalked off to Haru's room to find a change of clothes, he couldn't help but blush up to his ears. _Fuck. Damn it. What!_ What was he thinking? Kissing Haru like that? And in all honesty; he probably would've been happier had Haru called him an idiot and pushed him away.

But he hadn't done that. He'd kissed back. And Rin had had to accept that he quite enjoyed kissing him –he assumed that this was practically Haru's first kiss (bar their awkward one in the pool), but he wasn't bad at it.

Taking several deep breaths served to help dim the heat that was pooling in his gut. What was really quite worrying was that he'd enjoyed kissing Haru too much. His body was feeling too warm and he really _was_ shaking a little. And the look in those brilliant cerulean eyes when he'd pulled away.

God; he'd just wanted to dive right in and kiss him again.

It was a good thing he hadn't, too.

There was a disturbance by the door and Rin immediately yanked on a pair of Haru's pants.

"Damn it, Haru, I'm changing!" he snapped irritably; and then cursed himself for sounding like such a girl.

"So? We're both guys," Haru reminded him flatly; turning his back to find something to wear over his swimsuit. Rin actually found himself _licking his lips_ at the sight of that toned body before him. God; that had just been underneath him…

_Stop, Rin, stop!_ He commanded himself, _this is Haru. You've seen his body a thousand times. Nothing's different!_ He sighed in annoyance; running a hand through his hair only for it to fall back into place across his face. Haru; across the room; gave two shakes of his head; flicking the water free; before looking over his shoulder to where Rin appeared to be struggling with the concept of putting on a shirt. He was scowling at the item of clothing as though it had offended him in some way.

_You're fine, Rin Matsuoka,_ Rin chanted in his mind, _you didn't just kiss Haru in the bath. Look at him; he's fine; there's nothing weird; it's almost like nothing happened. Nothing happened. We are going to have this joint practice, and it will be fine. Nothing will happen. Control yourself_.

_There's nothing that special about him. Just focus on practice…_

"Are you going to put that on?" Haru commented flatly; and Rin realised that he'd spaced out and that now Haru was observing him with an even stare just a little bit too close. He took a step or two backwards and couldn't help but notice that Haru's lips were just a little pink from their previous activities. Of course, this led to Rin immediately revisiting what had just conspired and shivering at the memory of Haru's tongue slightly running against his.

_Focusing…Easier said than done it seemed. _

* * *

**We're just getting started! Hope you liked the second chapter! Oh Rin; you and your inner conflict! How's practice going to go for you? **

**Keep the reviews rolling; much love!**

**xx K**


	3. Chapter 3

"Rin-chan, you're a bit off today!" Nagisa giggled when Rin emerged from the pool after having run a less-than-stellar time while they were doing time trials. "Even Rei-chan was keeping up with you!"

"And what exactly do you _mean_, 'even Rei-chan'?" Rei asked crossly; folding his arms as he too hauled himself out of the pool as Rin tried desperately to ignore Nagisa's pestering.

"It's flu season," Rin snapped irritably, "I'm not feeling a hundred percent." Instantly, the cute blonde raised himself on tippy-toes and pressed a hand to the redhead's forehead.

"You don't have a fever," Nagisa commented curiously when he was immediately shaken off, "Maybe you should have a race with Haru-chan; that always gets you really fired up!" He tugged on Rin's elbow and pointed to where Haru was lining up to dive in. Rin suddenly found himself staring a little; drinking in the sight of Haru's body like he'd never seen it before. His throat ran dry as Haru turned his brilliant blue eyes across to him questioningly. The redhead blushed a little; embarrassed at having been caught staring and looked away with a self-conscious cough.

"…Not today," he muttered, but was suddenly being pushed towards the diving blocks by an over-enthusiastic Nagisa.

"Come on, Rin-chan!" Nagisa chortled in delight, "It'll be fun!"

"You promised we would swim together; remember?" Haru reminded him as he drew up and swapped places with one of the other Samezuka swimmers at Nagisa's insistence. He narrowed his eyes and avoided looking over at Haru. There was something unnerving about being even this close to him.

The whistle sounded and he dove into the water; perfect form. All he could see was the water running past him…until he went to breathe.

His eyes locked with Haru's in the moment that they both broke the surface, and he felt a shiver run through his body as he recognised that peaceful but determined look that the other boy always wore when he was swimming. It was that look that suddenly made him falter slightly; and the lead was torn from him.

He finished a second behind Haru; his head emerging from the water in time to see Haru toss his hair as he always did. However, this time, Rin's eyes were drawn to the gentle, content expression upon his face as water dripped down his chin. It was...

"Good race, Rin," Haru remarked quietly.

"It was shit," Rin muttered; jerking his gaze away and hoisting himself from the water. He didn't see the way that Haru's eyes shifted across his form as his muscles rippled with the force. "Happy now, Nagisa?" he snapped in irritation as the blonde looked a little downcast.

"You were so close to winning," he grumbled with a slight pout.

"Tch," the redhead responded noncommittally; feeling a hand upon his shoulder. He turned and discovered that Haru was now completely in his personal space. He took a step back; unable to prevent his eyes from drifting to the other boy's still slightly swollen lips. "H-Haru; what are you doing?" Haru looked rather confused by this question and dropped his hand. Rin made an annoyed noise and ran a hand through his hair aggressively; stalking past Nagisa and heading down to the other side of the pool; _away_ from Haru.

This wasn't normal, right? He'd decided to try and ignore whatever he was thinking about Haru, but it was proving to be harder than he'd initially thought; especially when whenever he'd look around, he'd find bright blue eyes looking over at him. And being too close to him just made him feel too warm…and remember what they had been doing.

Proximity made him want to kiss him again, and it was driving him insane.

Why had he kissed him in the bath anyway? He could've just stood up; gotten out of the bath; maybe yelled at Haru for overfilling the tub? But he hadn't. He'd just sat there in his lap and kissed him.

He'd slipped. That had to be it, right? He'd accidentally fallen forwards slightly and their lips had connected, and then Haru had just misinterpreted. That made sense! But then why'd he continue when Haru had kissed back? Maybe…maybe he'd just been too shocked…didn't want to hurt Haru's feelings by pulling away…

"Damn it!" Rin snapped after practice as he yanked his clothes back on. As hard as he had tried (and he'd tried very hard, all through practice), he couldn't convince himself that there was a reason that he'd kissed Haru other than 'he'd wanted to'.

And the looks that the other boy kept giving him; they were driving him crazy now. They were just so full of trust and _friendship_ –if a look could hold friendship. He sighed heavily; grabbing his bag and heading for the door; hoping to avoid Nagisa; who hadn't left him alone all practice about why he was a bit off today. Apparently he wasn't buying the flu excuse.

Just as he was about to leave the changing rooms, he looked over and saw to his horror that Haru had managed to slip in without him noticing, and was now relaxing under the warm spray of the shower. Rin's mouth dropped open as he was once again presented with the attractive form of his old friend; combined with the look of absolute bliss he was wearing at being under the water.

"Damn it!" he snapped aloud rather angrily, and stalked out of the room; furiously fighting a blush and hating the fact that he was having to. He didn't blush! Especially not for the likes of Haru!

"Rin!" As he was leaving the building, Rin heard his name being called, and turned; only to find that Haru had chased him out of the changing rooms in his swimsuit. "Rin! What are you so angry about?"

That was when Rin grabbed Haru and slammed him roughly against the wall of the building; around the corner where they were hidden from sight of the entrance. Haru didn't even flinch when his back made contact, but just looked up into Rin's red eyes as though searching for something.

"Nothing. Is. Wrong," he growled sharply, "Why does everyone think there's something wrong?" He caught sight of the look in Haru's eyes and glared at him, "And _why_ do you keep looking at me like that?"

"…I'm just wondering what you're running from," Haru replied simply; his brow furrowing slightly. Rin's grip on his upper arm tightened slightly at the accusation; the hand on the wall clenching into a fist.

"I'm not –" he was about to snarl, but then he looked down slightly and saw that Haru's lips were perfectly parted slightly; looking so very inviting. Before he knew what he was doing; he brought himself in closer, so that their chests just brushed against each other. He could feel Haru's warm breath against his lips and he felt his own parting slightly as he leaned in; already able to imagine the warmth and pressure against them. His eyes were falling to half-mast; already revelling in how close he was. Haru had tipped his head slightly –a little expectantly…

All he had to do was move forwards…

"_Rin-chaaaaaan_!" Nagisa's voice called out excitedly, "Haru-chaaaaaan! Where are you?" The sound of his voice immediately snapped Rin back to reality. His eyes widened in shock at what he had just been able to do –and after all that arguing with himself! He sprung back as though stung as Nagisa rounded the corner.

"There you are!" Nagisa pouted crossly, "Mako-chan told me that you both just ran off! He was worried something had happened!" His expression changed a little, "…Rin-chan, are you okay? Maybe you do have a fever?" His eyes travelled across to Haru, "…No! You might've given it to Haru-chan too!" Rin snuck a guilty glance at Haru and discovered that the other boy's cheeks were softly dusted with a pink blush.

"Tch," Rin scoffed; averting his eyes and straightening up, "I was just leaving. Haru didn't have to follow me out here." Nagisa pouted again; puffing his cheeks out and folding his arms crossly; knowing there was something going on that he didn't know about as the redhead stalked off without another word.

"Haru-chan; what's wrong with Rin-chan?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," Haru replied quietly, "He just seems a little lost." This was also apparently not a good enough reason for detective Nagisa.

"Well, I'm going to find out!" he declared with a determined look in his eyes; dragging Haru back inside the building to show Makoto that everything was completely all right. He didn't notice Haru softly touching his lips.

He knew that Rin had been about to kiss him again, and he had_ wanted_ him to. There was something…_thrilling_ about having him come that close and have those deep red eyes boring into him predatorily. Even his tight grip on his arm; such intensity radiating from Rin…Something about him had made Haru tilt his head; hoping to brush lips with him again. Through practice, he'd often found his gaze wandering to Rin; thinking about their kiss in the bath and wondering what had been going through his mind.

Meanwhile, as Rin stalked home, he cursed himself. He cursed himself for having so little control over his actions; cursed himself by being drawn in by Haru _again_; cursed himself for having no reason for what he was feeling or doing. This was too much. If Haru got close; he'd lose control again. He'd been prepared to kiss him; prepared to wrap him in his arms and kiss him until his lips were sore…and as much as he wanted that to happen…

…He didn't want it to happen.

He couldn't afford to lose control; couldn't afford to be around Haru so much. He had to…had to keep his distance, or he was going to wind up in a situation he wasn't ready for…maybe with feelings he wasn't ready for. It had gone too far already; and he could only _imagine_ how everyone would be if they found out what had transpired.

And thinking of Haru was only throwing him off. He didn't need the distraction.

He couldn't deal with the fact that his heart had raced when their skin had touched; couldn't deal with the fact that maybe…_just maybe_…he was developing some kind of…_feelings_ for another _guy_.

Especially Haru. They were old friends. Rivals. That was all.

And that's how it had to stay.

Even if it meant distancing himself...at least until he had his thoughts together.

* * *

**Poor conflicted Rin. Haru apparently doesn't see what the problem is. Updates will be coming soon I promise! **

**Much love**

**xx K**


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of a whistle blared out through the pool area and Haru blinked in surprise. He frowned to himself; wondering for the hundredth time what he was doing here at the Samezuka pool. He'd come under the pretence of wanting to swim…but he could've gone to swim at his own school's pool. And in any case, now that he was here, he wasn't even swimming.

Haru wasn't deluding himself. He knew that he was here because he wanted to see Rin. It was strange. His friend seemed to be avoiding him recently; for the last two weeks at least. He wasn't returning his texts or his calls –and it was unlike Haru to even use his phone at all. For some reason, he'd been wanting to see Rin more; and not being able to was making him a little frustrated and a little sad. He liked swimming with him; and he wanted to keep doing so. But since he was deciding to ignore him, Haru had resorted to drastic measures and shown up to one of the Samezuka practices with a note from Gou to the Samezuka captain. Since he was somewhat smitten by Gou, he hadn't questioned Haru's being there.

And so now, there he was; sitting in the bleachers and watching their practice; instead of being involved himself.

He spied Rin nearby; obviously stretching a little bit. As usual, Haru found his eyes drawn to the redhead. For a long time, Rin was the only person he'd really noticed; but now the _noticing_ was different. Usually, he'd be focused on the way he was swimming and looking to see life in his eyes…

But now, he was looking at his body. His blue eyes drank in the sight of Rin's arms reaching up; his taut abdomen on show; his toned arms on display for anyone who cared to look. Haru rested his chin in a hand and unashamedly stared. He saw Rin position himself on the starting block; watched him run a hand through his hair seductively before pulling his swimming cap into place. And then of course, he watched the race. Rin was in perfect form again; it was great to watch him. Haru sighed. He wanted to swim with him again.

He touched his lips briefly.

He also wanted to kiss him again. For not the first time since Rin had started ignoring him, he imagined those strong arms of his friend wrapped around him; thinking back to their kiss in the bath tub, and feeling a familiar shiver of excitement running through him. There had been something passionate and –Haru had no other word for it –_hot_ when Rin had pushed him against the wall and stood so close to him that he could feel their chests touching.

Suddenly, he was dragged from his daydreaming by the realisation that someone was calling his name.

"Nanase-san?" Nitori was calling out; waving to him, "Captain says you're welcome to join us for practice, if you have a swimsuit?" Rin, who had apparently just clambered from the pool, whacked Nitori on the head with his elbow.

"No, he didn't say that," Rin snapped irritably.

"Oh, come on Rin; be a good sport," Mikoshiba called out, "Nanase-san; you're welcome to come practice with us –just put in a good word for me with Gou-kun?"

" –Anything good he says will be countered by terrible things I'll say," Rin muttered mutinously under his breath as Haru approached the pool. Instead of greeting him, Rin hurriedly turned his back and stalked off to the other side of the pool; completely avoiding Haru's greeting. The blue-eyed teen stared over at him in confusion. Even when he'd come back from Australia, Rin hadn't been this cold. At least then there had been a sense of rivalry; that connection that they'd already shared.

He didn't like being ignored like this. Especially not by Rin.

Determined to make Rin notice him; he waited until the redhead was glancing around the pool before unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it slowly off his shoulders. He knew Rin had seen because he immediately averted his eyes and in his hurry to turn away; promptly fell into the pool.

"Senpai?" Nitori exclaimed in horror as Rin broke the surface; coughing and spluttering with the embarrassment of the fall. With an annoyed growl, Rin launched himself out of the pool; Haru swallowing a little as his eyes trailed across the rippling muscles of his friend's back. Rin didn't so much as look at him for the rest of the practice.

* * *

"You did good today," Mikoshiba commented with a grin, "Gou-kun's really whipping you into shape over at Iwatobi, isn't she?" Haru just nodded quietly as he headed off to shower; most of the Samezuka swimmers already having had theirs.

The showers were empty, save for one person; a certain redhead.

Haru stopped in the doorway for a moment and just watched him; saw the finally content; peaceful face on Rin as he showered in solitude. Slowly, he walked forwards.

"Rin, what's going on?" he inquired quietly, and Rin practically jumped out of his skin; leaping back a few paces in shock. Immediately; his face curled up into a scowl and he averted his eyes.

"Nothing," he growled darkly.

"…Then why are you avoiding me?" Haru asked; turning on one of the nearby showers and stepping under the spray; knowing that Rin was already searching for an excuse to leave.

"I'm not –" Rin tried to say; but the words fell from his mouth as he looked over and saw Haru's hands running across his own skin as he washed the chlorine off himself. His body was glistening with warm water and it was running almost seductively down the length of his form. Something about him was breathtaking. He flicked his hair a few times to keep it out of his eyes, and then looked over to see that Rin had unwittingly taken a step or two closer to him.

"Haru…" Rin breathed quietly as Haru looked at him from over his shoulder. Then, before either of them knew what was happening, Rin had wrapped his arms around Haru's chest and kissed him.

This wasn't like their accidental kiss; or their soft, slow kiss in the bath. This was raw desire, and Haru knew it as he felt Rin's tongue force apart his lips and delve into his mouth. He kissed back furiously; unable to keep up with the passion that was radiated from the other teen. He could feel Rin's soft hands running firmly down his chest and his skin pressing against his back.

Rin's hips unwittingly ground forwards; rubbing seductively against Haru's backside and Haru felt himself moaning into the touch as he turned to wrap his arms around Rin's neck. His back connected with the cold tiles of the shower, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that Rin was kissing him and he loved it. A hand slid down his back to grip his ass and he moaned again; kissing back to assure Rin that he liked how he was making him feel.

Suddenly; Rin pulled back –almost looking angry as he removed his arms from around Haru and instead slammed them into the wall either side of his friend's head.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he snarled crossly.

"Doing what?" Haru asked simply; his blue eyes confused but undeniably calm and unsure what he was being accused of.

" –_Kissing me back_!" Rin snapped; irritated by Haru's lack of reaction other than his slightly pink cheeks and lips and a bit of an unsteady breathing pattern.

"…Because I like it," Haru replied with a small shrug; his brow creasing into a slight frown for a moment, "I assumed that you were doing it because you liked it too…"

"Of course I don't!" Rin growled; the lie evident in his eyes and given away by the blush on his face. "I…I…"

"Then why do you keep kissing me?" Haru inquired; genuinely curious.

"…Because…" Rin stammered, hanging his head, "…Because…I don't know…" Haru looked at him for a moment, and then lifted Rin's chin with one hand; leaning in to kiss him.

Their lips met softly; Rin's breathing unsteady as Haru kissed him slowly and allowed him to deepen it. Rin's arms slowly moved to encircle the smaller teen; shivering when his skin made contact with Haru's toned back. Haru's own arms slowly slid up Rin's chest until they were looped around his neck; hands clutching at long red locks. Water ran down their faces and bodies as lips met over and over again in deep; longing kisses.

Their tongues moved against each other; Rin dominating the kiss fiercely; his eyes glued tightly shut as he felt warmth and desire spreading through his limbs. It had been driving him crazy these past few weeks; not talking to Haru. It had taken every ounce of his willpower to keep his distance; and seeing him in the shower just then…he'd snapped. He _wanted_ Haru; wanted to kiss him whenever he wanted; wanted to hold him and touch him and have the same done to him.

It didn't matter that Haru was a guy. Haru was just Haru; and he had been the only one that had mattered for such a long time –Rin just hadn't figured it out until recently.

And it was the same for Haru. Rin had always been his polar opposite; always been his goal. He'd always wanted to swim with him; be around him; just be with him. For him, accepting that he liked Rin hadn't been a difficult concept. He was finding that he liked having his friend's hands on him; liked the feel of his rough tongue against his; he could feel a strange tightness in his stomach and his breathing was becoming laboured.

After a last, lingering kiss, Rin pulled back; self-consciously rubbing his lips with the back of his hand. He averted his eyes guiltily.

"…Did you tell Makoto or anyone…about me kissing you?" he inquired quietly. Haru shook his head. "…Can it stay that way?"

"Why?" Haru frowned.

"…Just _because_, okay?" Rin snapped hotly.

"Fine," the other boy shrugged, turning back to finish his shower, "But Rin? Stop ignoring me. You can kiss me as long as you swim with me." Rin glared over at the other boy but then chuckled to himself with a shrug; running a hand back through his red hair and watching the way Haru's eyes watched the sexy gesture with an unusual intensity. Who was he kidding? It was impossible to deny that he was attracted to him; impossible to deny that...well...he liked him.

"…Deal."

* * *

**Rin's out of denial! And he and Haru might like each other, but when you've got a secret, and a curious friend like Nagisa; things aren't always quite so simple!**

**xx K**


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you guys nearly ready for the next competition?" Rin inquired curiously several weeks later when he and Haru were hanging out together in his room. Haru's head was in his lap and Rin was casually combing his fingers through his dark locks and he had his bright eyes closed contentedly.

"I think so," Haru replied, "Rei's improved quite considerably and we'll be facing you in the medley."

"That's good," Rin smirked, "I can't wait to beat you guys."

"Afterwards you should come back to our pool," Haru suggested, "We'll be having a celebration party whether or not we win or not." His eyes opened and he looked up and saw that Rin was looking down at him rather fondly. He pulled up so that he was sitting in Rin's lap and reached up to kiss him.

Hands gripped hair; Haru's legs parting so that he was straddling the redhead; feeling a hand trailing down his back to rest even lower. Rin nibbled softly at Haru's lower lip; tongue snaking out to trace the other boy's mouth. Slowly he began to push Haru backwards; lowering him down so that he was lying on the bed with Rin's body pressed between his legs.

Softly, the redhead trailed kisses down Haru's throat, sucking at his pulse when he felt him shudder beneath him. His kisses on his neck grew long and sensual as he began rolling his hips up against Haru in the same rhythm. Haru's breath began to hitch in his throat as he felt heat pooling in his gut; his fingers tightly gripping Rin's hair tightly; urging him on.

"Kiss me," he whispered and Rin's lips met his with searing heat; his hips grinding a little bit harder and one of his hands beginning to slide up his shirt. A thumb roughly brushed one of Haru's nipples; pinching it slightly and causing him to arch into Rin's touch. As their kisses became more passionate; they became more breathy and Rin pulled back, flushing.

"Rin?" Haru asked quietly; sitting up as he sat back to cool down a little; brushing his hair back off his face in embarrassment. "…Are we…are we dating?"

"W-What makes you think that?" Rin asked awkwardly; panting slightly as Haru adjusting his shirt.

"Well…you come to my house…I come here after joint practices…" he remarked with a slight frown, "We kiss…you gave me that toy shark the other day?" Rin swallowed nervously.

"I…I don't know," he admitted, "We're both guys…I don't know if we're _dating_…" He frowned and decided that he might as well figure that out, "...Do you want to go on a date with me?" Haru's bright eyes turned to him in surprise. "We can go to the aquatic centre, if you want?" Haru's eyes genuinely shone with excitement.

"Really?" Haru inquired curiously and Rin nodded with a small shrug; seeing the small smile of happiness and finding that it made his heart leap. Haru's blue eyes were glittering with delight, so with a smirk, he leaned in and kissed him again; tipping his chin up and initiating a slow, deep kiss. Tentatively, Haru's hand began sliding down Rin's chest deliberately; leaving no doubt as to where it was headed. Rin's breath caught in his throat and his heart began to race in anticipation. For a while now he'd been wanting to go further with Haru apart from just kissing him and rubbing up against him…but he'd been too embarrassed to ask where the line was and hadn't wanted to push him too far too fast. But if Haru wanted…

Suddenly, as Rin latched onto Haru's neck and sucked viciously; at the same time pressing his palm between the other boy's legs, there was a knock on the door.

"Senpai? Why's the door locked?" Nitori inquired curiously. Rin made an aggrieved sound and clamped a hand over Haru's mouth as the other boy let out a soft moan of appreciation at the contact. In annoyance, the redhead removed himself from his bed; leaving Haru blushing and licking his lips.

"Sorry," he grumbled; unlocking the door to let Nitori in and trying to _not_ look guilty.

"Your hair's really messy, senpai," Nitori commented brightly, "Oh; hi Nanase-san! I didn't know you guys were hanging out." Haru just nodded to him in greeting and got up from where he was sitting.

"I'll text you later, I guess?" Rin remarked awkwardly; scratching the back of his neck as Haru excused himself. "…Do your jacket up…" he growled under his breath as he passed; noticing that a rather suspiciously hickey-shaped bruise was already beginning to form on Haru's throat. Giving Rin a strange look, Haru obeyed; zipping his jacket up to his neck and heading out the door. The redhead sighed to himself as he shut the door. Trust Nitori to interrupt something…

Oh well…at least now he had a date with Haru to look forward to.

* * *

"This is not what I had in mind," Rin muttered in annoyance as he stalked into the entrance of the aquatic zoo; followed by Haru, Makoto, Rei and a way too enthusiastic Nagisa.

"It's not my fault –Nagisa saw your text and wanted to come," Haru reminded him.

"…This was meant to be a date," Rin growled crossly as the two of them walked on ahead of their friends. " –And do up your jacket! They're going to see your hickeys…"

"If you didn't want them to see, then you shouldn't have given them to me," he snapped back with a small frown.

"Is there a problem, you two lovebirds?" Makoto laughed and Rin immediately stammered some annoyed retort about 'who're you calling 'lovebirds?'

"I want to see the penguins!" Nagisa exclaimed in delight, "Rin-chan, this was the best idea ever!"

"Sure," Rin muttered dejectedly, "Um; Haru, come walk to the bathroom with me? We'll meet you guys at the penguins?"

" –We just got here –" Nagisa complained, but was then picked up by Makoto and Rei and promptly dragged away as Rin headed towards the bathrooms.

"…Come on, Haru; we have a while before they notice we're gone," Rin chuckled, taking Haru's hand for the briefest of moments to draw him in the direction of the dolphin pool. However, he missed the mischievous, determined look in Nagisa's eyes.

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa hissed as the pair of them trailed after Makoto, who was chuckling to himself a few paces ahead of them, "Did you notice anything strange about Haru-chan and Rin-chan?"

"Not at all," Rei shrugged, "You should stop trying to cause trouble. It's good that they're talking again!"

" –B-but, did you see…" Nagisa complained and pouted when Rei continued to drag him onwards, "There's something going on, and I want to know what it is! I saw them sneaking off together!"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Makoto assured him in his kind voice, "Haru-chan would tell us if there was something up, right?" Nagisa apparently didn't accept this and puffed his cheeks out as though he'd just been scolded. A few minutes later, he was back to his speculating.

"…So…Haru has been disappearing a lot these days," he mused, "He comes back with a hickey…sneaking off with Rin now that we're here…I have it!"

"Are you still going on about that?" Rei sighed.

" –Haru's obviously got a secret girlfriend!" At Nagisa's proclamation, Makoto chuckled and Rei scoffed at the very suggestion.

"Senpai; Haruka-senpai doesn't seem like he's ever had any interest in girls," Rei commented with a small frown; as if to disprove Nagisa's theory.

"He hasn't," Makoto shrugged, "But that could always change," he admitted.

"What kind of girl would Haru-chan be into?" Nagisa wondered, "Would we have seen her?"

"Wouldn't it make sense for it to be Gou-chan?" Rei sniffed, "I mean, if he's sneaking off with Rin-san, wouldn't that to be so he can see his sister?" Nagisa grinned in excitement.

"Of course!" he exclaimed, "Rei-chan, you're a genius! We have to go find them!"

" –No we don't," Rei remarked flatly; grabbing Nagisa's hood so that he wouldn't bolt off, "If Rin-san's helping Haruka-senpai see Gou-chan then we really don't have any business –"

"It's totally our business!" Nagisa giggled mischievously, "Come on Mako-chan! What do you think? You know Haru-chan the best; you know what's going on in his head, right?" Makoto just smiled softly to himself and shrugged in resignation.

"…There's definitely someone on his mind," he admitted and Nagisa's eyes gleamed with stars at being told his assumption was correct. Punching the air, he declared it his solemn duty to hunt out Haru and Gou on their secret date and observe from a distance.

And so began the game. Haru and Rin were in fact enjoying themselves across the other side of the aquatic centre; Rin only having to drag Haru away from the water about seven times, and no security guards having to get involved. Nagisa, 'knowing' that Haru was likely never going to show up at the penguin enclosure because of his 'secret date with Gou' started a desperate hunt to find them and gain proof.

Thankfully, Makoto and Rei were a little more courteous; deciding quietly that if Haru wanted privacy, then he deserved it; and so the two of them spent the better part of their day misdirecting Nagisa whenever they saw a flash of red hair or heard a call over the speaker system about a teenage boy trying to jump into an enclosure.

"I'm exhausted…" Rei declared as he and Makoto took a break on one of the seats; Nagisa tapping his foot impatiently and with frustration.

"I can't believe I didn't manage to get one picture as proof!" he grumbled crossly, "I bet they would be so cute together!"

"It's your turn," Rei sighed, pointing out to Makoto that Nagisa was going for a wander yet again.

"What harm can he do?" Makoto murmured in exhaustion; Nagisa was far too full of energy for him to be able to cope with. The pair of them sighed and sank down in their seats.

"I sure hope Haruka-senpai appreciates us leading Nagisa away," Rei muttered weakly.

Nagisa was venturing off by himself. Makoto had just texted Haru and informed him that they were leaving soon; so he was likely heading back. Maybe he could manage to get a sneaky picture of the two of them before Gou tried to leave separately!

And then he saw it.

Down the corridor, he distinctly spied Haru! How could he miss that familiar hair? He was sitting on a bench with his hand obviously on someone else's. Nagisa cursed; the other half of the bench was concealed by the corner and he couldn't see who it was! Damn! And if he got any closer, he'd be caught! But Haru was definitely leaning in; very _definitely_ kissing someone! Instantly, he whipped out his phone; taking a quick photo; zooming in as close as he could. All he got was Haru's face and a few strands of obviously red hair; but it was proof enough for him! Cackling to himself, he stalked proudly back to where Makoto and Rei were buying drinks from the vending machine.

Rin pulled back from Haru's lips; moving their hands apart.

"What's wrong?" Haru inquired curiously.

"Nothing…just thought I saw someone," Rin muttered and then shrugged as they both stood up. He ran his hand through his hair and noticed that Haru's eyes glittered at the gesture. "I…I um…suppose we should…maybe um…do this again…sometime?"

"I'd like that," Haru smiled quietly, "But can we go to the pool this time?" For the briefest moment, as they walked, their hands linked together and then broke apart. "…And Rin…? This means we're dating now, right?"

"Yeah," Rin muttered; blushing slightly and moving slightly further away from him as they spotted their friends over at the entrance. "What's Nagisa looking so happy about?"

" –Nagisa; calm down," Makoto smiled to himself as the blonde eagerly showed off the picture he had managed to take with his 'awesome detective skills'. "If Haru-chan and Gou-chan were on a secret date; then they obviously want it kept a secret, right?"

"I suppose," Nagisa pouted, "What's your point?"

"Well; that means we should wait until _they_ tell us," he explained, "Just pretend you don't know; I'm sure Haru will tell us when he's ready. And we shouldn't embarrass Gou-chan by mentioning it to her either…" Nagisa seemed conflicted about this, but the prospect of being in on a secret was apparently good enough for him to decide to hold his tongue. Makoto chuckled to himself in relief.

"Haru-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed in delight; running up and wrapping his arms around Haru; startling the blue-eyed boy, "We sure missed you! Did you get lost on your way to the penguin exhibit? We waited for _ages_!"

"Something like that," Rin replied for him quickly as Haru looked away noncommittally. Rei sighed in relief that Nagisa wasn't about to blurt out Haru's secret as they began heading for the exit. Going for a trip to the aquatic centre really had been more exhausting than he'd anticipated.

As Nagisa nattered on and on to Haru and Rin about the wonderful things he'd seen; asking them questions about their favourite parts, he sneakily added a, "So, Rin? What did _you_ spend the day doing?" Rin just blinked a few times; unsure of what on earth Nagisa was talking about. Thankfully, he was saved by Makoto interrupting with a, "Nagisa; leave them alone; how are you still so full of energy?" Rin and Haru both gave Makoto equally grateful looks, and he just chuckled to himself happily. Though Haru was wearing his same blank expression, he could see the smile in Haru's eyes; even if Nagisa and Rei couldn't.

* * *

**Sorry it's taken a while for the update; hope you enjoyed this one! Next one shouldn't be too far off. Much love to all those reviewers and faithful followers :)**

**xx K**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: lemon ahead (finally)**

* * *

Gou blew her whistle for the final time and thankfully let it drop to her chest. Haru burst out of the water and flicked his hair several times to get rid of the excess water. Almost as soon as he clambered out of the pool, he noticed that Rin was lounging on one of the seats; apparently pretending to be asleep.

"What's Rin-chan doing here?" Makoto inquired curiously as a soaking Nagisa immediately took it upon himself to head over and jump on the all-too-dry Rin. Rin made an annoyed noise as he tumbled to the ground; the little blonde boy having tackled him from his seat.

"I'm running home with him," Haru replied simply as he headed for the showers whilst catching Rin's gaze as the redhead fought to remove Nagisa from him. Unfortunately, the blonde was gripping him tight like some kind of barnacle.

"Okay," Makoto smiled, "I'll be around in the morning to get you up for school." Haru just nodded at him slightly as he went to change. Makoto looked over at Rin for a moment and caught the redhead's gaze lingering on Haru's back before noticing that the brunette had caught him staring. Red eyes blinked guiltily and looked away; having to laugh as Nagisa started tickling him.

"Niichan! You came to pick me up!" Gou exclaimed in delight as he finally managed to get off the ground.

"I'm running home with Haru, actually," Rin replied guiltily.

"What?" Gou complained, "But his house isn't even –"

" –I'll walk you home?" Makoto offered from over where he was going for a shower, "If you like?" Gou looked over at him; her eyes lighting up as she drank in his beautiful body. Wordlessly, she nodded and Rin rolled his eyes with a warning glare over at Makoto.

"See you guys later!" Nagisa waved as Rin and Haru headed off for their run home. He pouted to himself, as he spied Gou getting ready to leave out of earshot. "…But why isn't Haru-chan walking Gou-kun home? He's letting Mako-chan walk her home instead?"

"Well that would just be too obvious if he walked her home, wouldn't it?" Makoto pointed out with a smile to placate the little blonde. Nagisa sighed; acknowledging that Makoto was right.

"…Why don't we just tell them?" Haru inquired as they jogged. Rin looked away guiltily.

"…I…I just don't want them to know yet," he muttered, "I mean…What would they think? We're both guys; and we're on different teams…and I just…don't know…It could get complicated?"

"What's so complicated?" Haru commented flatly, "I like you and you like me –"

" –Don't say that so loud!" Rin snapped crossly, "People might hear!"

"You weren't so bothered when you kissed me at the aquatic centre last week," Haru pointed out and noticed that Rin's face was pink from something other than the fact that they were running.

"…I couldn't help it…" he admitted in an embarrassed mutter, "I forgot myself, okay? I just…I don't know what people will say." Haru sighed. There was really nothing about the situation that was complicated, but if Rin was insecure, then he was willing to let him wait. He wanted to tell their friends; just so it wasn't a big secret. Keeping it a secret made him feel like they were doing something wrong; and how could something be wrong when it felt so right?

* * *

"Haru? Could I borrow a shirt?" Rin called out as he finished having a shower, "Nitori spilt sauce on me at lunch today –" he was mid-way through his sentence as he entered into Haru's room to find that the other teenager was still getting changed; having been staring dreamily out his window for a considerable amount of time. Haru's bright eyes looked over at him expectantly before nodding and brushing past him to head towards the kitchen. Not long after, Rin smelt the familiar scent of cooking mackerel.

"…I've made dinner," Haru informed him; not bothering to look over his shoulder; just knowing that Rin had entered the room. Dinner was normal; they chatted like usual; well, Rin talked and Haru commented when appropriate. There was a swim meet soon and both of their teams were looking forward to competing.

In reality, Haru was a little distracted by pretty much everything Rin did. It was the way he licked his lips; the way he brushed his hair back off his face; the way he was sitting so casually…he swallowed nervously; shivering slightly and pressing his knees together as he sat.

"Something wrong?" Rin inquired curiously and Haru shook his head; though that was a lie. More and more recently, he'd been feeling very strange whenever he was alone with Rin. He hadn't known what had gotten into him the other day when Nitori had almost walked in on them; he'd just wanted to touch Rin and wanted him to touch him back. And now everything that he did reminded him of that.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Rin offered with a raised eyebrow; sensing that there was something up with Haru but not sure what it was. He saw a short nod as the blue-eyed boy got up and cleared away their plates.

Not too much later, they were perched on the couch; Rin sprawled out comfortably with Haru practically lying on his chest. It was a movie they'd both seen a couple of times but it was enjoyable enough. But slowly, Rin's attention was drawn to the fact that one of Haru's hands was ever-so-slowly making its way down his chest. Wondering if this was intentional or accidental, he swallowed and subtly began sliding his left hand down Haru's back; fingers applying slightly more pressure than was strictly necessary.

Haru, having obviously picked up the deliberate motion, looked up and found Rin's eyes gazing down at him. Licking his lips, he leaned up to accept the kiss that was pressed to his lips as he slowly slid his hand past Rin's waistband and into his pants. Rin's breath hitched slightly at the feel of Haru's soft hands against his sensitive skin and he dragged him up so that he was perched in his lap; one of his hands roughly groping his ass and the other sliding down his taut abdomen.

" –Haru…" Rin whispered; feeling Haru's hand suddenly beginning to work at stroking his member to life. Haru said nothing but let out a surprised hiss as he began feeling the same sensation. Their lips met again; the movie forgotten as Rin slid his tongue into Haru's waiting mouth. Heat pooling in Rin's gut, he felt his cheeks turning red as he felt himself growing steadily more aroused; especially as Haru used his free hand to clutch desperately at his shirt.

"…Shall we move this?" he managed to breathe; not waiting for an answer. He grabbed Haru and wrapped his legs around his waist; carrying him swiftly to his bedroom and pressing his back to his bed.

Instantly their lips were connected again; Rin tearing off his shirt and hungrily devouring Haru's kisses; his sharp teeth nipping at his plump lips but receiving no complaint.

Rin's hands travelled in opposite directions; one pushing up Haru's shirt and the other diving down into his pants to continue to stroke his cock. Haru bucked his hips up into his hand and arched his back with a gasp as rough lips descended onto one of his nipples; sucking and tonguing the sensitive nub until it was hard. Rin could feel aroused hands gripping his red hair roughly and heard breathy gasps escaping from the other boy.

"…Do you like that…Haru?" he whispered; running soft kisses across his chest and feeling himself growing even more aroused as he looked up and saw Haru's glazed, lidded eyes looking down at him. There was a brief nod before Haru arched back again; biting his lip. Rin's eyes gleamed; he wasn't about to let Haru go quiet on him.

"…If you like it…don't hold your voice back," he growled; biting down gently on the other boy's neck and sucking hard; making Haru moan quietly; his eyes rolling back as Rin teased the tip of his erection.

"Hnn…Nnn…._Riin_…" Haru moaned softly; his hands coursing up Rin's toned, muscled back with desire to tangle in his messy hair. He found himself parting his legs; allowing Rin to settle between them; their arousals colliding through their clothing. Rin pulled back slightly, giving Haru time to unashamedly pull of his shirt. Before they settled back down again, Rin felt something tugging on his pants and discovered that Haru was leaning forwards and had swiftly undone them.

"Haru; you don't –" Rin tried to say, but it was too late. His hot erection hit the cool evening air and he could already feel the warmth of Haru's breath against it. Apparently the blue-eyed boy was wondering how best to proceed, because he paused before lightly kissing the tip. He looked up deliberately; eyes locked with Rin's gaze as he slowly began taking his erection into his mouth.

Rin threw back his head with a soft moan as he felt warmth engulfing him. Slowly, Haru began to bob his head up and down; soft lips adjusting to the unfamiliar sensation. His tongue slid up against the hot, pulsing flesh and he felt it twitch in his mouth; taking it in a little deeper and reaching up to stroke what he couldn't quite fit. He moaned a little, eyes closing as he started to enjoy himself. Rin felt the vibrations around his cock and couldn't help his hips from bucking forwards slightly. He risked a look down and almost came at the erotic sight of Haru on his knees with his lips wrapped around him; saliva dripping down his lips and blue eyes glinting with desire.

Reluctant, but desperately needing to cool down slightly, Rin grabbed Haru and pulled him off his cock; pushing him back down to the bed and dragging his pants (and swimsuit) off in one motion; leaving him laid bare on the bed before him. Haru was panting quietly; licking his lips and his cheeks flushed red. The redhead leaned down again to kiss him passionately; his skin burning with every touch; their erections brushing together pleasurably. It was driving him mad; he needed more. He softly slid his hand up to Haru's mouth and slid several of his fingers inside as he sucked viciously at his neck. He could feel Haru's hot tongue coating his fingers in saliva and he was reminded of how good that tongue had felt on his cock.

Deliberately, so that Haru had plenty of time to protest, he slid this hand down between them; trailing across his aching erection and dipping lower to gently circle his entrance. Haru's breath hitched and he gave a short nod.

Kissing him again to distract him, Rin began slowly pressing a finger into him; working at loosening the puckered ring of muscles with first one digit and then adding another. Haru began moaning into their kisses; hands clutching at Rin's shoulders and kissing him even harder.

Suddenly, as Rin's fingers plunged deep into him, he arched backwards with a whimper of Rin's name. Surprised, Rin repeated the motion and received the same response. He began thrusting his fingers in a little faster, until he had Haru shaking and writhing beneath him; grinding against his hand to continue the pleasure he was getting from being penetrated.

As Haru clutched as the sheets; knowing he was close, Rin withdrew his fingers, apparently satisfied with his work. Haru let out a long, intense breath.

"…Haru…are you sure?" Rin asked quietly; hands either side of Haru's head and practically begging for him to look him in the eye. He gave a soft thrust of his hips up against him to indicate just exactly what he wanted him to be sure of. Haru paused for a moment.

"Of course," he replied softly, "…I want you too." With a quick kiss, Rin got up and slid his pants off; turning his back to fumble for something in his nearby bag. In a moment, he was back, tearing open a condom and rolling it on carefully. Haru raised a questioning eyebrow but Rin just shrugged and rested his weight back on him. He felt something cold against his hot arousal and hissed, but it was just Haru stroking some lube onto him; having apparently procured it while he was busy getting a condom.

Haru winced a little as he felt something thick and blunt pushing into him, and his hands gripped Rin's hair tightly as he spread his legs wide. Rin could see Haru's eyes crinkled in pain as he slowly began pressing his length inside him, but there was no vocal complaint.

"…You feel so…so good…" Rin whispered; his voice haggard and dripping with lust. Haru was clenching so tightly around him and he was having to grip the sheets tightly to prevent himself from bucking his hips up into him before Haru was ready. After a laboriously long moment, he was fully sheathed, and Haru's hands fell loosely to his sides to fist his blankets. Immediately, Rin replaced them around his neck.

"No…I want you to hold me," he growled softly; nipping his neck and pulling out of him; only to slam back in again; aiming for the same spot that he knew would make him see stars.

The first few thrusts were painful. Haru didn't know why people enjoyed doing this if it hurt so much. There were tears in his eyes, but from the erotic, pleasured look on Rin's face, he was feeling really, really good; and that was all that mattered to Haru. He was happy that he could make him look that way.

And then Rin slammed into him in _that spot_ and Haru let out a long, loud moan; his legs tightly clamping around the redhead's waist; demanding him to repeat the action. Stars danced before his eyes and the pleasure began to mount as the redhead rolled his hips slowly; almost romantically. Haru looked up into Rin's red eyes and gasped at the soft expression he saw. His eyes were glittering like stars as he sensually slid out from Haru's entrance and then slammed back in; causing him to arch up with a gasp.

With a triumphant grin, Rin wrapped his arms around Haru's lithe form; thrusting deep into him and causing him to arch up once more; moaning and whimpering his name in all kinds of fantastic ways. Slowly, as their lips met for hungry kisses, Rin's hips began moving harder; faster. Each wave of pleasure for Haru caused his inner walls to clamp a little harder on Rin's cock, and this spurred him on; his pace increasing as he slammed into him hard.

Haru spread his legs wider; opening up to Rin and welcoming him even deeper. He could feel every throb of the hot object inside him and he clutched at the broad shoulders above him. His body was sweaty and steaming and his heart was racing so fast it felt like it could burst.

"Nnn…Ohhhhh Rin…_Rin…faster…I need more…_" Haru moaned; desperately trying to force himself down on his cock even more but unable to keep up with the pace. Skin slapped fiercely against skin as Rin pounded towards orgasm. Haru shook beneath him, but then suddenly Rin's world was flipped as he was forced onto his back so that Haru was settled in his lap.

Not missing a beat, Haru began rising and then lowering himself back onto Rin's cock; feeling it being sucked deep into him by his greedy ass. He moaned; looking Rin dead in the eye as the redhead thrust up against him. Arms looped around Rin's neck and their lips met for another sloppy, lust-filled kiss. Rin ran his arms down Haru's sweaty, muscled back and threw his head back with a low moan at the sight of Haru in his lap; _riding him_. Hard.

"…Haru…yes…Nnnn…" Rin whispered softly; feeling himself growing closer and closer to release. He wrapped a hand around Haru's neglected erection and began stroking it firmly as he thrust up into him. The doubled stimulation caused Haru's eyes to widen; stars and white clouding his vision, and after a few thrusts he came abruptly across their chests; biting down on Rin's neck to muffle his moans. The sheer intensity of his orgasm completely drained him and his entire body felt light as he continued to impaled himself to drive Rin to release.

Unable to hold back with Haru's inner walls clenching around his cock deliciously; Rin slammed into him a few more times; gripping him tightly. As he came; Haru held his neck; staring intimately into his eyes; moaning a little as he felt Rin riding out his orgasm.

Exhausted, Rin collapsed backwards against the headboard of the bed with Haru on his chest. Haru blinked in discomfort as he felt Rin's slowly softening cock slip out of him, but looked up at the flushed expression on the redhead.

That face Rin had made when he had come was seared into his memory; the face that was because of him.

Rin reached up and brushed Haru's hair off his face; pulling him in for a brief kiss.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly; remembering the trust and pleasure in those beautiful blue eyes; remembering his gasps and the look of absolute euphoria he had worn whilst being connected with him. "…That was the best sight I ever could've hoped for."

Haru sighed quietly; sliding down his chest and flopping onto the bed languidly. Rin chuckled; grabbing a nearby towel and wiping the pair of them down briefly.

Haru smiled softly as he felt Rin lie down beside him; feeling arms wrap around him and a hot chest pressing to his back. A kiss was laid on his neck as they lay there in quiet bliss.

"It's always only ever been you," Haru murmured quietly as a gentle confession of how he knew he had always felt. Ever since they'd first met, Rin was the only person he'd had eyes for; the person he had longed to swim with and longed to be with. He had been his aim; he had been the person who had made him _feel_. The person that deep in his heart, he loved; and the person who was his rival.

All Rin said was all he needed to say.

"I know. Me too."

* * *

Rin woke first; finding that in the middle of the night Haru had rolled over and was snuggled up against his chest comfortably; arm draped across his naked torso. With a sleepy sigh, Rin ran a hand through Haru's hair affectionately; seeing blue eyes open and look up at him; wincing as he moved.

"Morning," Rin commented cheekily; wrapping his arms around him in a greeting hug; his expression one of absolute elation at the memory of what had happened last night. Whatever happened from now on; he had been the first person that Haru let touch him like that; and that memory; that sight...those feelings...were with him forever.

Haru graced him with one of his slight smiles before leaning up and kissing him gently on the cheek; tracing the small hickey that Rin was now sporting because of him.

There was a knock at the door.

"Haru-chan! I'm coming in!" Makoto's voice called from the front door. Rin's eyes widened in horror and he instantly scrambled out of bed to put his clothes on.

"Stall him!" Rin hissed hotly as Haru yawned and slowly began getting out of bed.

"I'm getting changed," Haru called back flatly as Makoto obviously went to check the bath first.

"Okay; I'll wait for you in the kitchen," Makoto informed him, "We're going to be late for school…"

"Crap…" Rin grumbled crossly; struggling with his shoes and trying to pull on one of Haru's shirts at the same time. He checked his reflection in the mirror and cursed again. Yeah; he looked like he'd been up to mischief.

"Haru-chan? Who's there?" Makoto inquired curiously.

"Rin," Haru replied as Rin groaned; facepalming. This situation couldn't possibly be any worse. Of _course_ Makoto would be showing up to make sure Haru actually went to class. "He stayed over last night."

"Oh?" Makoto remarked as Rin finally emerged from Haru's room; grabbing the first jacket he spotted and heading for the living room, "Morning, Rin-chan!"

"Hey Makoto," Rin remarked slightly awkwardly, and trying to find a reason for why he was there, "Um…We were hanging out yesterday and it got late so I stayed. Haru was…he was uh…worried…yeah; about the big meet in a few weeks. He was…" He blinked guiltily and tried to smooth his hair a little, "…Um; he was worried about the relay –yeah; the relay; worried about how you guys would react if you lost because he couldn't catch up on the last leg…" He tried for a smile but had the feeling that it came off looking guilty. "I thought I'd give him some tips, yeah…"

"That sure was good of you," Makoto chuckled to himself.

"Anyway…I have to go to school," Rin remarked; hurriedly adjusting his bag and heading for the door, "Bye Haru! Thanks for…thanks for last night…" On that note, he promptly bolted.

"Bye, Rin," Haru called back; making an appearance in the living room and Makoto refusing to let him grill some mackerel because they were definitely going to be late.

"What was Rin thanking _you_ for?" he asked conversationally as they began walking to school; Haru seeming to walk a little stiffer than usual.

" –Oh…" Haru frowned, "…He was worried…about the relay…too…" He averted his eyes; knowing that Makoto would sense the lie but not press him for information. Makoto just laid a friendly hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure he has nothing to worry about," he assured him with one of his sincere Makoto smiles. There was a moment of silence between them. "…And Haru? You don't have anything to worry about either. We all love you no matter what; you know that, right?"

"I know," Haru replied; wondering if Makoto was really just talking about the lie that Rin had told about him worrying over the relay.

"…Also…Haru-chan?" Makoto inquired cheekily after another pause, "…Why are you wearing a Samezuka jacket?" Haru just looked away and didn't answer; knowing he was blushing slightly. Rin had obviously grabbed the wrong one as he was leaving; but he wasn't complaining. He liked this one. It smelt like Rin.

* * *

**Ahh; thank you for being ever-so-patient! My wonderful followers will know by now that I ****_do_**** make them wait for their smut! But I hope it was worth the wait! Hope you liked; hope you review; hope you stick around for the last chapter or two! (Oh cute, that rhymed!) **

**And Makoto; you cutie. **

**Much love, my bunnies.**

**xx K**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the last chapter! So here we are; sorry it has to end. Sorry it ended so quickly, but this needed to be wrapped up, didn't it? Much love to you all for keeping up; much love for the reviews. **

**Happy reading**

* * *

"Where's Haru-chan?" Nagisa inquired curiously as they sat in the bleachers on the day of the swim meet they'd been training so hard for. "Rei-chan's going to be back soon and I thought he'd want to congratulate him!"

"He's probably getting ready for his race," Gou shrugged, "He's probably just down in the changing rooms." Nagisa made a whining noise and pouted again.

"He disappeared as soon as the race was over," he sniffed, "…I mean, Rei-chan didn't qualify for the final because Rin-chan beat him…but…"

"I'll go have a look for him," Makoto smiled, "I'll be back in time to watch; don't worry." He got up from his seat and began heading towards the changing rooms. There'd been something different in Haru's eyes today, as he watched the 100m butterfly. It had been unusual for the freestyle to not be the first event, but it made a nice change. Rei had been rearing to go, anyways.

Haru _was_ in the changing rooms; but not exactly getting ready for his race. He got up with his eyes flashing with hope as Rin appeared; having _just_ come from the pool area.

"…Rin?" Haru breathed quietly; his face almost turned up into a small smile, "You did so well…" he moved forwards; about to take the redhead's hand, but was shocked when Rin pulled away from him; throwing a look over his shoulder and seeing that there were other swimmers entering.

"Not here, Haru," he muttered warningly and the blue-eyed boy took a step back with a scowl.

"Why not?" he inquired flatly; his eyes hardening.

"…You know why," Rin hissed, "What would people say?"

"Can't I congratulate you on making the final?" he queried.

"Well you can," the redhead responded, and then added in a lower voice, "…But not like _that_." Haru glared at him; hurt and feeling a little rejected. His face returning to its normal, blank expression, he stalked past Rin; not even looking at him and headed for the door. Rin made an annoyed, growling sound in his throat and turned to follow him.

"What's the problem, Haru?" he demanded as soon as they were alone in the corridor.

"Why won't you let me be with you?" Haru snorted flatly.

"What do you mean?" Rin inquired in genuine confusion.

" –We've been together a while; and you still won't let me hold your hand in public," Haru reminded him coolly, "I don't see the problem with me doing that. I don't see the problem in _wanting_ to do that."

"The problem is that that's not the sort of thing that guys _do_," Rin reminded him, "Haru; I told you that I don't want people to know that…know that…"

"What? That we're together?" Haru snorted, "Why not? What's so wrong with me?"

"There's…there's nothing wrong with you!" Rin growled; his voice rising in volume, "I just…"

"You just _what_, Rin?" Haru demanded, "You don't want to admit that you're scared of what people will think? Why are you so concerned about other people's opinion of you? Why does that matter?"

"It just does!" he retorted sharply, "Guys don't normally like other guys; what don't you understand about that? Our friends…what if they look at us differently? What if they…" He left the sentence hanging but Haru knew what he was trying to say. Rin didn't have many close friends, and he was worried that the ones they had would get up and leave if they found out about them.

"…If you're so worried about what people will think, then why are you with me?" Haru shouted, in a rare display of anger, "I like you; and I don't care that people know it!" Suddenly, he found himself pinned to the wall as Rin glared down at him. The redhead leaned in and pressed a harsh, but apologetic kiss to his lips. Haru pulled away; turning his head aside in irritation; refusing to return the gesture of affection.

"Don't do this, Rin," he muttered as he felt red eyes on him, "You can't pretend we're just friends in public then kiss me when we're alone. It hurts. It makes me feel like you're ashamed of liking me." He shoved the redhead away from him; stalking off to get ready for the 100m free. "Congratulations on making the final." And on that note, he wordlessly disappeared off down the corridor; leaving Rin to angrily kick the nearest wall in annoyance.

Why didn't Haru understand? He wanted to be with him; he really did! He loved spending time with him and swimming with him. He was the only one he'd ever sought; ever chased. But did he not understand that it wasn't _normal_ to be attracted to a guy? Didn't he know..

"Rin-chan?" Makoto's soothing voice called out from the other end of the corridor. He turned his head sharply to see the soft green eyes of his old friend looking at him in concern. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Have you seen Haru-chan?"

"Yeah; I saw him," Rin muttered; averting his eyes and discovering that there were actually tears in them, "We argued."

"About what?" Makoto inquired; his voice indicating that Rin didn't have to tell him if he didn't want to.

"…Just…things," he mumbled; brushing away a tear with the back of his hand and hoping that Makoto was enough of a friend to not point out that he was crying. The other boy just turned and leaned against the wall companionably.

"Haruka's been happy these days," he commented conversationally, "There's just a light in him now that wasn't there before. Have you seen it?"

"…I don't know," Rin muttered.

"Well; it's there," Makoto informed him, "It's there in you too; you know?" Rin stared at him incredulously. "We've all noticed how happy you are as well. It's nice to see you smile again; Rin." Rin made a scoffing noise and Makoto just chuckled; looking up at the ceiling. "We like seeing you like that, you know? All of your friends; as long as you're happy, we're happy too."

"What are you getting at?" Rin grumbled.

"Penguins make Nagisa happy," the other boy continued, as if kind of off in his own world, "Beautiful things make Rei-chan happy. Gou-chan makes Mikoshiba happy –" Rin's eyebrow twitched at this. " –And you make Haru happy." Rin blinked several times; staring at Makoto's profile. The brunette turned to look at him; smiling kindly.

"What I'm trying to say, Rin; is that your friends don't care what you love, as long as you're happy," he finished. Rin sighed for a moment and then his eyebrow twitched again as he understood what Makoto was saying.

"You know, don't you?" he exploded aggressively.

"About you and Haru-chan?" Makoto chuckled sheepishly, "Yeah. How could I miss it? Although Nagisa thinks that he's secretly dating Gou-chan." Rin glared at him; having half a mind to punch him in the face for giving him such a cheesy speech; but then he paused; his eyes narrowing.

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"…I've been covering for you two for longer than you'd think," Makoto shrugged with a low chuckle, "Nagisa's naturally inquisitive." There was silence for a moment as Rin took on board this new development.

"…And you don't mind?" he queried of Makoto; just to be sure that he was getting the right vibe.

" –What did I just say?" he reminded him, "We love you guys, no matter what; especially since you make each other so happy." He gave Rin another of those winning smiles and the redhead was again forcibly reminded that the guy was practically an angel. "So I suggest you make it up to Haru. It hurts him that you don't want to show the world that you love him."

"Love hi –_I never said I loved him_!" Rin exclaimed hotly.

"…But you do," Makoto reminded him smugly as he pushed off the wall. "And I can tell that he loves you too." He waved as he headed off back in the direction he'd come from, "It doesn't matter what people think; Rin. If they're really your friends, then they should understand, right?"

"But –"

"Don't be tied down by what people think. You're free to be whatever you want to be. Good luck for the 100m free! We'll all be cheering for you guys!"

As Makoto disappeared again, Rin solemnly began thinking over what he'd said, and what Haru had said. Why was he with him?

Well, he was with him…because every time those blue eyes looked at him, his heart stopped; because he loved his laugh and his love of water; because he loved swimming with him and because being around him made him so, undeniably happy. Arguing with him had hurt; so he couldn't imagine how much more it had hurt Haru for him to just brush him off.

Makoto was right. He loved Haru.

* * *

As they lined up on the starting blocks, Rin looked over a few lanes and saw that Haru wasn't even looking at him. He gritted his teeth and lowered his goggles; snapping the band as he did so. No matter how this race turned out; he had to make it up to Haru. Whether he won or lost _to_ him; he couldn't afford to _lose_ him.

The whistle blared and the swimmers all plunged into the pool with powerful dives. Rin didn't allow himself to get distracted, despite what was occupying his mind. He just swam as he always swam; feeling the water rushing past him; serene.

And then finally, his hands smacked into the wall as he finished; tearing off his cap and goggles and looking up at the leader board to discover that he'd finished second; a split second after lane five. He looked over towards lane five and was not surprised to find Haru already pulling himself out of the water. Ignoring Nitori's hand to help him out; he clambered up the wall and onto the concrete.

"Haru!" he called out as the other boy stalked past. Blue eyes flicked towards him and then away again, and he bit his lip; lunging forwards and catching his wrist. Haru turned in surprise.

"…You swam really well," Rin managed to breathe out; caught up in those intense blue eyes. Haru just looked away; not saying anything. "Haru, I –" The hand clutched in his own tugged away.

"Don't pretend," was all Haru said; turning away again, and Rin's eyes narrowed crossly. "How much longer…"

" –No longer," Rin interrupted as a growl, "You make me happy, Haru; and that's all that matters. No one else matters." Haru looked back; shock evident on his face as Rin lurched forwards and capturing him in an intense kiss; right in front of everyone in the area.

A series of 'ooh's' and 'awws' went up from the crowd as Haru relaxed; letting Rin's arms encircle him intimately.

Nagisa's mouth fell open and he stared over at Makoto and Gou.

" –B-But I thought that Haru-chan was dating…" he babbled; Gou looking at him as though he was crazy before staring at her brother openly kissing another guy so publically.

"…Wrong Matsuoka," Makoto chuckled as the cogs visibly turned in Nagisa's mind.

"Oh. I get it now," he admitted; blinking several times and then leaning out over the railing, "_YAY FOR HARU-CHAN!" _

Rin deepened the kiss; cupping Haru's cheek softly; before pulling back and averting his eyes; blushing as he tried to ignore the fact that he had just made a rather public spectacle. There was a burst of applause from the Iwatobi and Samezuka teams that quickly began to fill the area. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and felt a slim hand slip into his own.

Haru looked over at the blushing Rin and smiled his quiet smile to himself.

"I told you they wouldn't care," he chuckled as they skirted around the pool with their fingers interlaced.

"Yeah, yeah," Rin grumbled crossly; noticing that Nitori was turning a slight shade of purple as he apparently pieced together why he and Haru had been spending so much time alone in his room together. He looked up to see that the Iwatobi swim team was clapping along; his own sister yelling out gleefully. "…You happy now?"

"…I always was," Haru replied with slight cheekiness and Rin's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Had he intended for this to happen?

In any case… they were now out in the open. Whatever happened, he knew that his friends would support them. Whatever happened, he could take this; as long as it was Haru next to him. He cared more about him than about his image.

Nagisa, Rei and Makoto came to meet them; Gou flinging her arms around her big brother in excitement.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed in delight.

" –Have you guys had sex yet?" Nagisa asked curiously; jumping straight to the point. Rin immediately went red. "You have, haven't you?! How was it? Tell me _all _the juicy details!"

" –You're not finding out the –"

"Rin's very good," Haru immediately replied bluntly; and Rin made an annoyed growl; facepalming. Nagisa immediately started tugging on Haru's elbow and demanding further information. Rin sighed but smiled to himself; noting that Haru's hand was still gripped in his own.

What had Makoto said? That he was free to be whatever he wanted?

He looked over at Haru and caught those bright blue orbs gazing back at him. In that case…Haru?

_Free to be you and me. _That was what he wanted.

* * *

**And here we are at the end. **

**Oh my; hope that wasn't too quick or too cheesy for you all. Thank you once again for following through to the end. Hope you've enjoyed the story! **

**xx K **


End file.
